The Air Went Out
by 27vampyresinhermind
Summary: It was an experiment, and Rachel decided very quickly that it needed to be repeated as often as possible. prompt!fic written for diva.divine's birthday. Features Smuckleberry & a splash of Samcedes on the side. M for a reason!


**a/n: This one-shot was written for the lovely diva.divine's ****birthday. It's AU, set in Atlanta, Georgia, and features Puck singing "Bad Things" by Jace Everett (also known as the **_**True Blood **_**opening song). It features a little Samcedes relationship (my new personal crack!ship but not so much since they're actually happening on the show now!), Quinn-character-bashing, and Smuckleberry! So if any of that poses a problem, turn back now. I hope everyone enjoys it and I promise that another chapter of To the Twelfth is on the way, the muse is just taking her dear sweet time. Thank you for your support! I don't own Glee or the song…**

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><p>She'd seen him first thing when she got to work to prep the bar for the night crowd. His band was setting up and she guessed that Mercedes, the owner, had let them in. Rachel had been working as the bartender at Mercedes' Bar &amp; Grill since she'd been in college. Two years after graduating, she was finally happy with the life she'd built in Atlanta. She had a good job that allowed her to have her days to herself to work on her song writing. Looking at the chiseled man fiddling with the dials on his amp, she'd never been more thankful for her job.<p>

"Honey, you're drooling all over the Patrón. Don't make me take that out of your check." Rachel tore her gaze away from the massive arms now handling a Les Paul with the utmost care to look at her friend and boss Mercedes Jones.

"I was not drooling," she defended. Mercedes lowered a skeptic brow in her direction and laughed. "What's the band tonight?" Rachel knew she was deflecting but she didn't even care. She'd been caught staring yes, but she'd be damned if she would admit to drooling.

"They're called Confessions of a Ghost. They do some really good covers and mix their own music into the sets. Sam found them for me. You know, my man might be a skinny white boy from Nashville that knows way too much about _Avatar,_ but he's got a good ear for music." Rachel giggled at Mercedes' jab but pointed across the bar at the block of ice on the darker woman's finger.

"He's got good taste in jewelry too. I trust engaged life is treating you well." Mercedes' smile softened as she looked down at the ring that had been given to her by her boyfriend of three years.

"Well, the sex is even better now. I lost ten pounds and I don't know if it's because of lugging this rock around all the time or because he just can't get enough of all this chocolate thunder." Rachel snorted, her laughter filling the air around them, and Mercedes started to laugh with her.

"Um, excuse me, it's Mercedes right?" Rachel felt her breath stop in her throat when she noticed that the hot guy had walked over to the bar. Mercedes grinned at Rachel's obvious attraction and turned towards the man.

"Yeah that's me. Let me know when you boys finish setting up and I'll feed y'all before we open. What's your name baby?" Rachel smiled at her friend's ever southern hospitality. She sounded almost maternal even though their birthdays were mere months apart. That was one thing she didn't hate about working for the woman though.

"I'm Puck. I think my drummer has a crush on you or something because he keeps thanking me for getting this gig. Tried to tell him Sam already locked that down but he won't believe me. I was gonna ask you about starting a tab for the band tonight." Mercedes nodded her head and shot a sly look at Rachel.

"Well drinks are half-price for the band which we take out of your pay at the end of the night. And Rachel is the best bartender I have so I think I'll put her in charge of you boys. How's that sound?" Rachel's eyes widened at her boss but the woman just smirked in return. Puck met her gaze and smirked too.

"Sounds great," he answered simply. Mercedes' phone started playing Sam's ringtone from her pocket and she released an excited chuckle.

"That's my boo, y'all two get it worked out and I'll be back in just a second." Rachel wanted to laugh as Mercedes walked away but then she turned to face Puck again and had to slow her breathing. They stared at each other for just a few minutes before Rachel even dared to blink.

"I guess I should probably talk to you since you're _in charge_ of me now." She rolled her eyes at his line but still took the time to admire the way the veins in his arms rippled.

"Is that even your real name," she asked, trying anything to keep her eyes from lingering too long on certain places.

"It's Noah, but my last name is Puckerman. Puck is a nickname. And I saw you checking me out before. That's actually why I came over." Rachel narrowed her eyes at him and mentally scolded herself for being so painfully obvious.

"I happen to have an appreciation for real musicians. I'm a songwriter actually and if I was 'checking you out', it was simply because you look like you know your way around a guitar." Puck nodded at her, clearly not buying her story, and chuckled.

"Oh I know my way around a lot of things. Maybe I could show you later. What are you doing tonight after closing?" Rachel froze at his forward approach but did her best to stand her ground.

"Look Puck, I have work to do so why don't I just get you your drinks and leave it at that?" He watched her bite her lip and didn't even try to stop his mind from imagining his own teeth digging into her tan skin. Puck smiled at her and played the southern gentleman his mama had raised.

"If that's what you really want sugar. Four Coronas, please ma'am." Rachel nodded her head and got the beers he'd asked for, doing her best to ignore the way she could feel his eyes on her as she did so. She also tried to ignore his accent when he called her 'sugar'. It shouldn't have sounded as hot as it did. Rachel put the beers in front of him with a little more force than necessary.

"Here you go. You need anything else?" He smiled as though he knew a national secret and it unnerved her.

"If I told you what I actually need, you'd probably slap me." Puck gathered the beers in his hands and walked away before Rachel had the chance to retort.

Two hours later, the grill was open, the band was playing, and Rachel still couldn't seem to keep her eyes on her work. She was positive that if Mercedes hadn't of found it so hilarious, she would've fired her. It wasn't completely her fault though. Just before they started playing, Puck took his t-shirt off revealing the white wifebeater underneath and even more muscles straining through the fabric. It was _distracting_.

"I knew you'd like him Rach." Sam's smug little grin was frustrating. He wrapped his arms around Mercedes' shoulders from where she was sitting at the bar.

"I don't like him Sam. I just like staring at him apparently." Mercedes released a 'mmhmm' and the blonde man chuckled out loud. Rachel rolled her eyes and popped the lids off of four more Coronas before sitting them on a tray. They had just finished a song and she was positive her panties were soaked. Puck's voice, it was deep and threatening, smooth and melodic, twangy on the right words and absolutely perfect. Orgasmic.

She took a deep breath before fixing the tray against her hip and weaving in and out of the other customers to make it to the stage. Puck smiled at her and knelt down as she sat the tray down on the edge of the stage.

"So sugar, like the set so far?" She watched as he put the beer bottle to his mouth and attempted to quell the jealousy rising up in her.

"You're pretty good. And I was right before, you _do_ know your way around a guitar." He nodded his head to agree with her so Rachel picked the tray up to leave before she said (admitted) to anything else. Puck gently placed his hand on her shoulder before she got too far and she literally felt her skin tingle under his touch.

"Any requests? I aim to please." Rachel stepped a little closer to him and batted her lashes on purpose. His cologne was light, not overpowering like a lot of men she'd come in contact with before. He ducked his head dangerously close to her neck, she could feel his breath, as though he was waiting for her to whisper in his ear.

"Why don't you play something _you_ think I'll like and I'll let you know if you succeed or fail, _sugar_." Rachel grinned when she backed up but Puck nodded and stood up again. He swung his guitar back around and smiled at her before whispering to his band, apparently having already come up with his song choice. When he stepped up to the microphone again, she couldn't help the curiosity that welled up inside her.

"Alright folks, this one's going out to the _sweetest_ little thing in this place." Puck locked eyes with her when she got back behind the bar, and winked. A few people turned her way, all with knowing smiles on their faces, as the song started up.

She recognized it on the first note. _True Blood_ was her guilty pleasure so the theme song was often on repeat on her iPod. For some reason, Puck's voice lowering a couple octaves and singing the line "I wanna do bad things with you" made her grip her own beer bottle just a little tighter. Her body was reacting beyond her control as he kept eye contact throughout the entire song. Watching him during the guitar solo, she was salivating and completely unable to find anything wrong with that. She just wanted him to make good on the promise of that song, and do very bad, unspeakable, amazing things to her. His wolfish howl at the end, a stark contrast to the deep voice he'd used for the rest of the song, went straight to her core and had her shifting on her feet.

The song ended and he wiped his brow, never once breaking eye contact until Rachel smiled and nodded her head in clear approval. It wasn't until they started another song that Rachel remembered she had drink orders to get to. Santana, the other bartender, was starting to shoot her the same knowing looks she'd received from Sam and Mercedes earlier. She was beginning to think she should work on how obvious she was.

It was about forty-five minutes before closing time when Rachel saw the woman walk in. She had blonde hair that curled slightly at the ends and was wearing a white sundress. Quinn was this high society tramp who liked to come by the grill to stir up trouble. Her father was a big name advertising executive in Atlanta so the bitch got everything she begged for. Except Sam. When the blonde man had first moved to the peach state from Nashville, Quinn had dug her claws into him instantly, claiming him for her own. But Sam had already fallen pretty hard for Mercedes so of course Quinn took offense to their union. She never missed a chance to 'drop by and say hello', or rather, check to see if Sam and Mercedes were still head over heels in love with each other.

Rachel watched as she sat down at the bar and walked over to her before Santana had the chance to. The Latina wouldn't hesitate to give her a piece of her mind and Rachel didn't want a scene right before closing. When she opened her mouth to ask if she wanted a drink, Quinn stuck her hand up to stop her.

"Save it sweetie, you know why I'm here so why don't we just cut to the chase." Rachel rolled her eyes and looked over at Santana, who was gripping one of the knives they used to cut limes in her hand, before answering.

"They're strong as ever Quinn. Why don't you let it go? Sam chose Mercedes and the only reason you even liked him in the first place was because he looked good next to you in a photograph. He's not yours for the taking so why don't you just leave it alone. Go find someone else to sink your claws into." The glare that Quinn lowered on her didn't even faze Rachel anymore. She was used to it. Quinn turned on her stool and looked across to the stage where Puck and his band were still playing for the few patrons left.

"Maybe I'll see what _he's_ doing later. He's not really up to par with my social circle but my friends are always telling to live on the dangerous side." Rachel bristled at the thought of Quinn being anywhere near Puck. She wasn't paying attention to the way her hand had gripped onto the beer tap and in an instant, the tap broke off and beer was spraying everywhere, mainly on Quinn and her pristine white dress. She screamed and put her hands up to block the steady stream but nothing could be done. "You little bitch turn it off! Turn it off!"

Santana walked over, very slowly, and handed Rachel a towel to wipe herself off with before reaching under the bar and turning the tap off manually. After a second, Rachel noticed that Santana still had the knife in her hand. Quinn grabbed a handful of bar napkins and started trying to wipe the alcohol from her face and hair.

"You did that on purpose! This dress costs more than your life and now it's completely ruined!" Rachel looked down at the handle still in her hand while Santana released a derisive snort.

"_Puta_, if that dress cost more than fifty cents, you paid too much. Or maybe it just looks cheap on you. I'm not sure. Either way, you need to leave. We obviously can't serve you with broken equipment." Santana held the small knife up in a completely flippant manner and smiled. "Would you like me to walk you to your car?" Quinn looked like she could've set the place on fire with her glare but grabbed her purse, also soaked with beer, and stomped off toward the exit. Santana and Rachel waited until they heard the door close before they both burst into laughter.

"Well that's a lawsuit waiting to happen," Rachel giggled out. Santana just shrugged her shoulders and started cleaning up some of the mess.

"Whatever. Slut was asking for it. I heard her going after your man. It's not enough that she tries everything in her fucking cauldron to break 'Cedes and Sam up but now this. Shit ain't happening on my watch." Rachel rolled her eyes at her friend but couldn't stop them from flitting over to where Puck had been cautiously watching the scene from before play out.

"He's _not_ my man, Santana." Rachel grabbed the mop and walked around the bar to clean up what had gotten on the floor while Santana mumbled behind her.

"Just tell me something. _Did_ you do it on purpose? I mean, I totally wouldn't blame you and I'm actually jealous but I just wanna know." The smaller woman just laughed in response and started mopping up the beer.

While she was swishing the mop back and forth, she failed to notice that the music had stopped until she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Her breath left her lungs in a rush when she turned to see Puck behind her, all playful grin and sinewy muscle, standing there like he wanted to say something. Rachel, her nerves to blame, blurted out,

"You were really good tonight." He chuckled and Rachel shook her head. "Your band, I meant to say that _your_ _band_ was really good tonight."

"Thanks, I try. So uh, the guys are packing up so I figured I'd find Mercedes so we could pay the damage. And then I was thinking I could make another attempt at seeing what you were doing tonight." Rachel blushed, still not accustomed to someone being so forward with her but felt flattered all the same. It didn't matter how long she'd lived in the south, that accent got her every single time.

"I'll get the Hot Chocolate, you two keep talking," Santana spouted off from behind them. With a wink in Rachel's direction, she was off to find their boss while Rachel was left standing there with her mouth open. Puck laughed, having seen the wink, and remarked,

"Well she's subtle." Rachel laughed in agreement and looked up at him. "So what do you say we get a coffee or something after this?" Without thinking about her reply, she said,

"I have coffee at my place." Puck immediately took that comment and ran with it.

"Sounds good to me. I'll meet you outside then." Before Rachel had the chance to correct him, Santana returned with Mercedes in tow. She guessed that Santana had already filled her in on why there was still beer dripping from the bar because her boss just smiled at her like a proud mama bear.

Twenty minutes later, Santana was practically shoving her outside insisting that she would finish up. Rachel found Puck easily enough, he was leaning against the only other vehicle in the parking lot, hers, still in that damn white muscle shirt with the street light shining down on his chiseled features like some statue of a Greek god in a museum.

"Look," she started in, "I think we got some lines of communication crossed or something because that wasn't an invitation for you to come home with me tonight. I'm not that kind of girl." His smile didn't falter as he stared down at her.

"But you want me to come home with you. I can see it in those pretty brown eyes." His voice was the same low tone he'd used during _that_ song and she fought her body against the shiver that wanted to travel down her spine. "When was the last time you gave in to temptation?" He dipped his head slowly until their lips were a hair's breadth away from each other. "Wanna know why I've been calling you 'sugar' all night?" Rachel hummed in the back of her throat, forcing her knees to stay strong instead of collapsing out from under like they wanted to do. "Because I bet you taste just like _pure_ in-the-raw _sugar_." Rachel felt his thumbs rub against the small ribbon of skin between her white blouse and black shorts, her work uniform, and she gave up, leaning into his body the way they were both craving. "You gonna let me have a taste?"

When Rachel let him brush his lips against hers, she told herself it was just an experiment. Maybe, if just for one night, she could be _that_ girl. But as his tongue slipped against her own, she quickly resigned that if this was an experiment, it would need to be repeated as often as possible. He pulled her closer with one arm and cradled her head with the other. She could feel him smiling against her mouth after a few seconds so she pulled away.

"I was right," he said, licking his lips as if tasting her again. The decision was easy after that.

"Get in the car," she demanded. She didn't have to tell him twice.

The drive to her apartment felt longer than it ever had before. Puck drove her crazy the entire time, playing with her hair or running his fingers down her arm while whispering filthy things in her ear, and she had to remind herself that speeding was a bad thing. By the time she parked her car in her usual spot in front of the complex, she was ready to forego going inside and just rip his clothes off where he sat.

Once they were inside, it didn't take long for his fingers to start working on the buttons of her blouse. Rachel wanted to giggle when he realized that she wasn't wearing a bra underneath her white camisole. What? Her boobs were small and perky and the camisole had a built in bra. In the Atlanta heat, there just wasn't any sense in wearing more layers than absolutely necessary. But the giggle stopped in her throat as his mouth closed over her nipple. She pushed her chest closer to his lips as he started to grind his hips against hers. The feeling was heady and she craved more. Her body had been responding to him all night and she was ready for everything.

Her head lolled to the side when Puck started kissing her neck but she snapped back when he asked where the bedroom was. As soon as she breathed the words, he swept her up over his shoulder and headed in the direction of her room. He deposited her on her bed with a playful bounce before tugging her back to the edge with his warm hands on her ankles. When she looked up and saw the condom he'd retrieved from his wallet between his teeth, she released a soft moan and lifted his wifebeater up over his head. He'd already unbuttoned her shorts so when he pulled them off and the cold air hit her soaked panties, she couldn't help the hiss that escaped through her teeth. He laughed softly and before she knew it, Puck was on his knees with his head dangerously placed between her thighs.

"Tell me Rachel, are you always this wet or is this just for me?" Rachel squirmed on the bed, desperately wanting him closer. "Gonna need an answer baby, because I've been thinking about this since you walked in tonight." She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him as he smirked up at her.

"Well you're the one between my legs so what do you think?" She guessed he was satisfied with that answer because the next thing she knew, his tongue was swirling around her clit and she was fighting back moans with all her might. Puck pushed his fingers into her slowly and she already felt as though she was seconds away from falling apart. Rachel gasped when his fingers scissored inside her. "Oh god Puck," was the only phrase her brain could come up with.

"I like the sound of that," he muttered against her thigh. Just as the pressure was starting to build, Puck pulled his fingers out and popped them into his mouth. Rachel was caught between frustration and obscene arousal as she watched him suck his fingers clean. She was about to tell him to drop his pants but before she could form the words, he reached down and unbuckled his belt. Rachel's eyes widened when his jeans dropped to the floor. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"Please," she whimpered. As soon as the condom was in place, he pulled her legs up to his shoulders and rubbed the tip against her folds. She sucked in a breath as he slid in, stretching her more than she'd ever imagined possible. He leaned forward just slightly, stretching her just a little bit more. "_Yes_," she keened, her accent bubbling over because of her excitement. Puck started to move back and forth, keeping his hands on her calves to prevent her from moving. Rachel tried to concentrate on the way his body felt moving against hers but his voice broke through the haze as he started to moan low in his throat.

"You like that? You're so fucking tight sugar, so hot." His words had the desired effect and her body started to bend and contort without her permission. The snap of his hips was sharp and quick, making her lose control.

"Noah," she breathed, somewhat surprised when his actions paused suddenly and he stared down at her. "Noah, don't stop," Rachel moaned, gripping onto the edge of her bed for a little leverage. He started to push again, this time long and slow, pulling out all the way to the tip and thrusting back in until he couldn't possibly go deeper. She gripped his dick with her body, clenching around him and almost squeezing the life out of him. He leaned down and quickly pressed his lips to her neck, sucking hard on her skin and leaving his mark. Her breaths began coming faster and faster, in time with his thrusts. She grabbed onto his shoulder as she felt her body shaking with the beginning of her orgasm. He kept pushing into her, hard and rough, until she screamed his name once more. Rachel felt him swell inside her as he bit out a harsh 'Rachel' against her neck.

He stilled his movements as she shook with abandon beneath him. She continued to milk him until there was nothing left but the steady rise and fall of their chests as their breathing returned to normal. Rachel hummed softly as Puck sucked on her earlobe before he pulled out. When he collapsed beside her, she grinned over at him.

"Wow, I think I need to be _that_ kind of girl more often." Puck quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her so they were chest to chest. He slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her slow and deep before nodding back.

"I can help with that _sugar_."

_**-fin-**_


End file.
